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20 Quetzales Independence
| Issuer | Banco de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Commemorative banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears an allegorical vignette of the signing of the Central American Independence Act, rendered in a detailed engraved composition with multiple historical figures gathered around a table. A resplendent quetzal bird is placed to the left of the central scene, and fine guilloche underprints in blue and violet tones frame the composition. The denomination and issuing bank legends are set in bold typography across the upper and lower margins. |
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| Protection type | Watermark, Security thread, Colour-shifting ink |
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| Comments |
Guatemala's 20 Quetzal note commemorates independence from Spain in 1821 — but the country's first years of self-governance were anything but stable, cycling through annexation to Mexico, a failed Central American federation, and a long string of caudillo governments before anything resembling modern banking took hold. The Banco de Guatemala itself was only established in 1946, after the 1944 revolution that ousted Jorge Ubico ended fourteen years of authoritarian rule.
G+D's Leipzig facility has supplied Guatemalan paper currency for decades, a relationship that has survived multiple series redesigns. The 2020 paper issue is notable partly because Guatemala has simultaneously maintained polymer versions of some denominations, making the material choice here a deliberate one rather than a default.